trip to home depot... defiant 3xC cell xml and minimag pro

[StorminMatt]

They’re a hair cheaper here . They’re $17 (before shipping). But I still MUCH prefer this light with Cs, especially compared to only 3xAA. You will probably only get about an hour of runtime from this light from 3xAA. But with 3xC, I can get a full two hour walk in.

[garrybunk]

@StorminMatt

They’re a hair cheaper “here”:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Card-2-pcs-Centura-C-LSD-NiMH-Rechargeable-Batteries-/330468122364?pt=US_Rechargeable_Batteries&hash=item4cf16f5efc . They’re $17 (before shipping). But I still MUCH prefer this light with Cs, especially compared to only 3xAA. You will probably only get about an hour of runtime from this light from 3xAA. But with 3xC, I can get a full two hour walk in.

So you've given it a runtime test? How's the light output after those 2 hours? The ANSI claim is 4 hours, but I imagine the light is getting really dim by then. So would you say 2 hours is more realistic?

-Garry

[garrybunk]

Also want to say that I don't think it's fair at all to compare a $49 Coast to this $19.88 Defiant.

-Garry

[vigilandy]

@StorminMatt

Or buy some Tenergy C batteries. They’re only about $15 for four of them (regardless of whether 5000 mAH HSD or 4000 mAH LSD). Any you’ll get double the runtime that you would get using AA batteries. Not to mention that you don’t need to get adaptors OR deal with the pitfalls of using them (ie higher resistance, lower reliability, etc).

BTW, aren’t C batteries actually SHORTER than AA batteries? I would imagine that using an adaptor will only exacerbate the situation.

The Sanyo sleeves for the AA—>C adapters don’t increase resistance because it is just a sleeve. I.e. The ends are uncovered. They actually work quite well in the Defiance 3C because the tailcap spring is long. As for lower reliability, I don’t see how, but of course more parts = more parts to break.

My main annoyance with this light is the lack of a lower mode. 550 lumens is nice, but in a dark room, it can be blinding. The other thing is the light body is slippery— I will have to cut a piece of shrink tubing for it I think.

[agenthex]

@Lumatic

“In the end I left with a Mag 2D XP-E.”

It may look good, but in the end, it ain’t good.

Btw, I was there. I picked one up. I turned it on. I felt the soggy flimsy switch. I looked at the beam inside HD. I felt the finish on the faux easy-slip non-existent knurling coupled with the $2 spray can paint-like glossy coating, I looked at the size of the head, the depth of the reflector, the plastic lens, the one-mode only on high operation, the general ‘feel’ of the thing, put it back in its cardboard box slot, looked again at the price, and realized I could get another Mag 2D Led in gunmetal and put the rest of the $20 that wasn’t spent on it towards a black Mag 2D Led. Then I walked away and never looked back.

But to give all this an Agenthex flair of how I really felt about it, I wouldn’t pay more than $9 for that POS because that’s what the XML emitter’s almost worth. 8)

How many tiny dots on the ground are you planning to throw with all those A60’s and Mags?

[Lumatic]

Well, I’ll give ya a hint. Have ya every heard of a ’Thousand Points of Light”?

8)

[garrybunk]

I posted beamshot comparisons between this Defiant 3C XM-L and a 2D Maglite (& Small Sun ZY-T08 & Defiant 3AAA XB-D) here.

-Garry

[Trying2Ketchup]

I had bought the Maglite 2D Cree at Lowes for $15.

After buying a couple of these Defiants at Home Depot, I immediately returned the Maglite.

The Defiant is so vastly superior to the Maglite that it’s not even a close contest.

The Maglite had a tone of artifacts and a huge, irregularly shaped “donut hole” in the center of the beam that became pronounced when adjusting the beam, and the Defiant is easily 2 1/2 times as bright, with about 3x as much usable spill.

As far as the build quality is concerned, again, the Defiant is just as good as the Maglite, IMO.

I used the Defiant on a 1 hour walk with the dog and had it on about 70% of the time, and I doubt it got warmer than 85 or 90 degrees, at most.

[vigilandy]

The Maglite shouldn’t have a donut hole when focused properly. At least none of mine have that problem! I like the Defiant as well, but the Maglite has it beat in terms of throw and runtime. Also, I find the Defiant too bright for close up work. Like tonight, I was unhooking a trailer and there was way too much glare unless I pointed the light off to the side. For most other tasks I use it for though, it has the Maglite beat. What it really needs is a 2 or 3 mode driver.

[garrybunk]

I agree its too bright for a lot of use and needs a low mode, but how would that Maglite have been for that task? Pencil beam thrower for close up area lighting - no good!

-Garry